Calvert Beach-Long Beach in Calvert County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Fisherman's Trail
Flag Ponds was the site of a pound-net fishery from about 1915 to 1958. The men fished the waters each spring, some journeying from as far as the Eastern Shore to the Cliffs of Calvert. Using small boats called lighters, they would set their pound nets, a complicated network of poles and nets and pilings. Henry C. Knott, in his 2002 book "Fishlighters," notes that by 1920 more than 80% of the fish harvested were caught using pound nets.
Much time and effort was spent repairing and tarring the nets. Part of the Flag Ponds exhibit shows an old tarring station, where a fire, buried in a metal box beneath the tarring platform, warmed the tar to just the right temperature so as to waterproof the nets without burning them.
According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, "the majority of pound nets are set and fished between April and November. Nets are typically set in 12-20 feet of water; however, some fishermen use deeper sets (20-35 feet) but this is rare." It is with these nets that the men would entrap finfish such as rockfish (striped bass), bluefish, shad, menhaden, spot and other popular Bay species.
This trail will take you to five sites, where the fishermen repaired and maintained their pound nets, where they unloaded the fish, and where they lived during the fishing season:
❶Fisherman's Shanty
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❷ Fish Landing
❸ Net Tarring Station A
❹ Net Tarring Station B
❺ Workboat Remains
Erected by Battle Creek Nature Education Society/Calvert Nature Society; Calvert County Natural Resources Division; Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
Location. 38° 26.972′ N, 76° 27.441′ W. Marker is in Calvert Beach-Long Beach, Maryland, in Calvert County. It is on Flag Ponds Parkway one mile east of Solomons Island Road (Maryland Route 2/4), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Flag Ponds Pkwy, Saint Leonard MD 20685, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Shanty Living at Flag Ponds (a few steps from this marker); Tons of Fish Tons of Work (a few steps from this marker); All About Net-Tarring (a few steps from this marker); All About Flag Ponds Shoreline (within shouting distance of this marker); North Ridge Trail (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line);
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 40 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 3, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
